Scallops are a favorite seafood delicacy that are incorporated into many dishes or served as an entree. A scallop is a bivalve mollusk with a fan-shaped shell from which its name is derived. The shells are characterized by radiating ribs or grooves and concentric growth rings. Near the hinge, where the two valves (shells) meet, the shell is flared out on each side forming small “wings”. Just inside each valve along the edge of the mantle is a row of short sensory tentacles and a row of small blue eyes. The shells are opened and closed by a single, over-sized adductor muscle which is sometimes referred to as the “eye”. The eye, or adductor muscle is the part of the scallop that is consumed in the U.S., where it is often referred to as a “medallion” because of its shape. The adductor muscle is more developed in the scallop than in oysters and clams because scallops are active swimmers. They glide freely through the water and over the sea floor by snapping their shells together.
Scallops are primarily harvested by dredging and are shucked soon after capture. They cannot hold their shells closed; therefore, once they are out of the water, they lose moisture quickly and die. Consequently, they're shucked on board the ships, placed in containers, and refrigerated. For large commercial operations, a machine is used to shuck the scallops and the medallions are then immediately placed in a bag for sale, usually that day. However, bags that are specifically designed for the presentation and preservation of scallop medallions and that include all of the features of the present invention are not found in the art.